Lefty McKay
| Date and Place of Birth: | March 31, 1906 Norfolk, VA |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 5, 1943 Myrtle Beach, SC |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Technician Fifth Grade |
| Military Unit: | U.S. Army |
| Area Served: | United States |
Arthur R. “Lefty” McKay, son of Hugh and Margaret
McKay, was born in Norfolk, Virginia on March 31, 1906. He grew up in
the Tanner’s Creek district with his elder siblings Hugh, Jr., and
Margaret. In 1918, his father, Hugh, passed away and the family moved in
with his maternal grandparents.
McKay’s first flirtation with professional baseball
was in April 1927, aged 21, when he was signed by the hometown Norfolk
Tars of the Class C Piedmont League. Whether the 6-foot-2-inch
left-hander pitched a regular season game for the Tars is unclear but in
June he was sold to the Northampton Red Sox of the Class D Eastern Shore
League who gave him his release the same month.
In 1928, McKay was signed by the newly formed
Wilmington Pirates of the Class D Eastern Carolina League and made 26
appearances for an 8-13 won-loss record and 3.53 ERA to help the Pirates
to a first-place finish. Despite a losing record, this strong season saw
the 23-year-old sold to the Macon Peaches of the Class B Sally League in
the spring of 1929, and he spent spring training with the parent-club
Brooklyn Dodgers at Clearwater, Florida. Unfortunately, the anticipated
continuation of last season’s form didn’t materialise. He made just
three appearances for an 0-1 record with the Peaches before being
assigned to the Rocky Mount Buccaneers, Brooklyn’s affiliate in the
Eastern Carolina League, where he pitched in no more than a handful of
games. He was returned to Macon in September and was released by the
club the following spring.
McKay didn’t play baseball in 1930. It’s possible
he’d injured his arm the previous season and most likely went to work in
Norfolk with his brother as a printer at a local newspaper – something
he certainly did later in life. In 1931, he was signed by the Columbus
Red Birds, a St. Louis Cardinals farm club of the Class AA American
Association, and sent to the Danville Veterans of the Class B Three-I
League. McKay made seven appearances for a 1-3 record with Danville
before being assigned in July to the Scottdale Cardinals of the Class C
Middle-Atlantic League where he was 1-0 in two games before being on the
move again. In late June, he joined the Greensboro Patriots of the Class
C Piedmont League, making eight appearances before heading on to the
Elmira Colonels of the Class B New York-Penn League in August. In seven
appearances with the Colonels he had an 0-5 record.
In 1931, despite all his travels and up and down
performances, McKay was still viewed as a prospect and was with the St.
Louis Cardinals in Bradenton, Florida for spring training in 1932. The
Cardinals assigned him to Greensboro in March, then back to Elmira in
the New York-Penn League in May and almost immediately on to the
Harrisburg Senators of the same league. McKay made just five appearances
for the Senators for an 0-2 record and was released in June.
Approaching 27 years of age, it was announced McKay
had signed with the Durham Bulls of the Piedmont League in January 1933,
but by the time spring training came around he was with the Richmond
Colts of the same league. However, he wasn’t able to stick with the club
and spent the summer with the Martin Sales team of the Intercity League
in Richmond.
McKay’s professional baseball career had come to an
end and he spent the next few years working as a printer. On March 18,
1942, and approaching his 36th birthday, McKay entered
military service with the Army at Camp Lee, Virginia. On the same day,
Martha Emma “Mattie” Gannaway was granted a divorce from her estranged
first husband. Mattie and McKay were married shortly afterwards.
McKay was stationed at Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina, as a technician fifth grade. At 11:55pm on June 5, 1943, he
died from a gunshot wound at the army camp. The circumstances
surrounding his death are unknown. Whether it was suicide, murder or an
accident, I’ve not been able to ascertain. Four months later his wife
gave birth to their son, Arthur, Jr.
Arthur “Lefty” McKay is buried at Forest Lawn
Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia.
|
Year |
Team |
League |
Class |
G |
IP |
ER |
BB |
SO |
W |
L |
ERA |
| 1927 | Norfolk | Piedmont | C | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1927 | Northampton | Eastern Shore | D | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1928 | Wilmington | E. Carolina | D | 26 | 163 | 64 | 91 | - | 8 | 13 | 3.53 |
| 1929 | Macon | Sally | B | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | - |
| 1929 | Rocky Mount | E. Carolina | D | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1931 | Danville | Three-I | B | 7 | 40 | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | - |
| 1931 | Scottsdale | Mid-Atlantic | C | 2 | 12 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - |
| 1931 | Greensboro | Piedmont | C | 8 | 31 | - | 25 | - | 0 | 1 | - |
| 1931 | Elmira | NY-Penn | B | 7 | 44 | - | - | - | 0 | 5 | - |
| 1932 | Greensboro | Piedmont | C | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | Elmira | NY-Penn | B | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | Harrisburg | NY-Penn | B | 5 | 22 | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | - |
| 1933 | Richmond | Piedmont | C | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Date Added July 28, 2020
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